Man gets lengthy prison sentence in stabbing of two people in Erie

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Undated headshot of Christopher H. Miller, 52, who is wanted by the Erie Bureau of Police on charges of stabbing two people at a residence on West 18th Street on Saturday night. Miller was apprehended by state police on Wednesday. Sentenced on Dec. 18. CONTRIBUTED/ERIE TIMES-NEWS

A lawyer representing an Erie man who pleaded guilty to stabbing two people at a westside rooming house in August blamed alcohol, mental health issues and jealousy for fueling the attack.

Lawyer Kevin Kallenbach also noted during the sentencing for Christopher H. Miller on Tuesday that one of the stabbing victims was also the victim of another assault by Miller.

Miller, 52, stood before Erie County Judge Shad Connelly for court action in both assaults.

Connelly revoked Miller's probation in a December 2011 simple assault case for violating the terms of it by committing the attack on a 39-year-old woman and a 54-year-old man on Aug. 25.

Miller had pleaded no contest in May to a misdemeanor count of simple assault in the 2011 incident after Erie police accused him of punching the woman and choking her to the point of passing out.

Connelly noted in court Tuesday that the victim suffered five broken bones in her face during that attack before he sentenced Miller to the 236 days he already served in jail on the case.

Connelly also sentenced Miller on Tuesday to serve a total of 16 to 35 years in state prison for pleading guilty in October to two counts of aggravated assault in the stabbing case.

Connelly said he took into account Miller's previous conviction, and added that Miller had been released from jail 13 days before police said he stabbed the woman and the male victim at a rooming house in the 200 block of West 18th Street.

The judge said he also considered the nature and extent of the victims' injuries. The woman was stabbed nine times and the man was stabbed five times, and both needed significant medical attention, Connelly said.

"Certainly she did nothing, nothing to deserve what happened to her, and she is indeed fortunate to be alive," he said.

Erie County Assistant District Attorney Carrie Munsee said Miller became enraged when he saw his former paramour with the man. The woman fled a room in the rooming house after Miller attacked the male victim, but Miller followed her out into a hallway and stabbed her multiple times, Munsee said.

It's pretty clear that Miller presents "danger to everyone in the community," Munsee said in arguing for an aggravated-range sentence for Miller.

Kallenbach said it was "certainly a tragedy" for Miller, at 52, to become so enraged, adding that there was no provocation by the victims.

Miller told Connelly that he was sorry for what he did, and regretted that it ever happened.

TIM HAHN can be reached at 870-1731 or by e-mail. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNhahn.

Online Extras

MORE ON CRIME: To see more coverage of crime in the Erie area, including Erie County’s Most Wanted and a map of incidents in Erie and Millcreek Township, click here.